Index Archive

15 March 2014

USA Devyani Khobragade re-indicted in Visa Fraud Case
Fox news reported that Devyani Khobragade has been re-indicted on U.S. visa fraud charges
The new indictment was filed Friday. It essentially reinstates the charges against Devyani Khobragade.

Prosecutors say she fraudulently obtained a work visa for her housekeeper and lied to the government about the maid's pay

She is charged with visa fraud and making false statements that could together get her a maximum of 15 years in jail if she was every tried and convicted.

The fresh indictment filed in a federal court in Manhattan also charges that Khobragade submitted to the US state department an employment contract of her domestic worker which she knew contained "materially false and fraudulent statements."

The 21- page indictment states that the diplomat "knowingly made" multiple false representations and presented false information to US authorities in order to obtain a visa for a personal domestic worker.

The indictment said that "Khobragade did not want to pay the victim the required wages under US law or provide the victim with other protections against exploitative work conditions mandated by US law.

Further it said that

"Knowing that if the US authorities were told the truth about the actual terms of her employment agreement with the victim, Khobragade would not have been able to obtain a visa for the victim, Khobragade decided to make false statements to the US authorities

Many times in India we read that politicians lie when they give affidavits
But did you ever read that anyone got punishment for lying on affidavit

Majority will agree that lying on affidavit is very common and normal in India
To make false statements in affidavit is one of the reason corruption is increasing in India